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Revision as of 04:34, 14 December 2025
Military unit
The No. 4 AEW&C Squadron nicknamed Karakorum Eagles is an airborne early warning unit of the Pakistan Air Force‘s 32nd Air Mobility Wing. It operates ZDK-03 early warning aircrafts from PAF Base Masroor.[1][2][3][4][5]
History
The squadron’s history traces its roots back to January 1958, when a maritime flight of 2 Grumman HU-16 Albatross was established operating under the supervision of 12 Squadron at Mauripur airbase. The unit was transformed into a fully functioning squadron on 15 August 1959, under which its fleet was expanded with more Albatross seaplanes, Bristol Freighters, and Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw helicopters. The unit was temporarily disbanded in March 1969 after H-19s were retired from air force service, with its Albatrosses being put in storage. [6]
On 11 August 2011, the squadron was reactivated as an Airborne Early Warning unit with 4 ZDK-03 AEW&C aircraft.[1]
Operational history
1965 War
While under the command of Squadron Leader Afsar Khan Jadoon, the squadron’s H-19Ds undertook several covert operations in close co-operation with the Pakistan Army while the HU-16s saw maritime patrol missions over the Arabian Sea in close coordination with the Pakistan Navy throughout the 16-day war. [7]
2019 and 2025 conflicts with India
The squadron remained alert during Operation Swift Retort with the unit being deployed at its wartime locations. Similar wartime alerts were seen during Marka-e-Haq in 2025.[1]
References
